dawiddutoit/custom-claude/ha-validate-dashboards
Claude Code and agent skill by dawiddutoit/custom-claude
- community
- ext:[{"type":"hook","description":"Pre/post lifecycle hooks"}]
Checking that the SKILL.md file is still in the repository.
Provides 3-tier validation approach for Home Assistant dashboards including pre-publish validation (entity checks, config structure), post-publish verification (log analysis), and visual validation (browser console, rendering). Use when validating HA dashboards, checking dashboard configs, verifying entity IDs, debugging rendering issues, or before deploying dashboard changes. Triggers on "validate dashboard", "check HA config", "dashboard errors", "entity not found", or "test dashboard". Works with Home Assistant WebSocket/REST APIs, Chrome extension MCP tools, Python dashboard builders, and YAML dashboard configurations.
Install
npx vskill@latest install dawiddutoit/custom-claude/ha-validate-dashboardsSemi-extensibleMentions customization, but needs skill-specific knowledge. Read the extensible skills standard
SKILL.md
Home Assistant Dashboard Validation
Validates Home Assistant dashboard and configuration changes using a comprehensive 3-tier validation approach to catch errors before they impact users.
Quick Start
Run a complete validation before deploying a dashboard:
Table of Contents
- When to Use This Skill
- The 3-Tier Validation Approach
- Validation Workflows
- Common Failure Modes
- Supporting Files
- Integration with Project
- Requirements
- Red Flags to Avoid
When to Use This Skill
Explicit Triggers:
- "validate my dashboard"
- "check HA dashboard config"
- "verify dashboard entities"
- "validate before publish"
Implicit Triggers:
- Before deploying dashboard changes
- After modifying dashboard builder scripts
- Before committing dashboard code changes
Debugging Triggers:
- Dashboard shows "Entity not available"
- Cards fail to render or show error states
- Console shows JavaScript errors
- HACS card doesn't appear after installation
Usage
Use this skill to validate Home Assistant dashboards before deployment. Run the Quick Start workflow for a complete validation, or use individual tiers (pre-publish, post-publish, visual) for specific validation needs. Always run pre-publish validation first to catch config errors before they reach production.
The 3-Tier Validation Approach
Tier 1: Pre-Publish Validation (API-Based)
Validate configuration and entities BEFORE publishing to Home Assistant.
Config Structure Validation:
Entity Existence Check:
Extract All Entity IDs:
Why Pre-Publish Validation Matters:
- Catches config errors before they reach HA
- Prevents "Entity not available" errors in production
- Verifies HACS cards are installed
- Fast feedback loop (API calls only)
Tier 2: Post-Publish Verification (Log Analysis)
Monitor Home Assistant logs for errors after publishing dashboard changes.
Log Comparison Workflow:
Key Error Patterns:
| Error Pattern | Meaning | Fix | |
|---|---|---|---|
Custom element doesn't exist: custom:*-card | HACS card not installed/loaded | Install via HACS, clear cache | |
Entity not available: sensor.* | Entity doesn't exist or offline | Check entity ID, verify device | |
Error while loading page lovelace | Dashboard config syntax error | Check config structure | |
Invalid configuration for card | Card validation failed | Review card schema |
Why Log Analysis Matters:
- Detects runtime errors that pre-publish checks miss
- Catches integration-specific issues
- Provides detailed error messages for debugging
- Confirms changes didn't break existing functionality
Tier 3: Visual Validation (Browser Automation)
Use Chrome extension MCP tools to verify rendering and check browser console.
Browser Validation Workflow:
Console Error Interpretation:
| Console Error | Root Cause | Fix | |
|---|---|---|---|
Custom element doesn't exist: custom:* | HACS card not loaded | Hard refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R) | |
Uncaught TypeError: Cannot read property 'state' | Entity ID mismatch | Check entity via API | |
Failed to fetch | Network/API connectivity | Check HA availability | |
SyntaxError: Unexpected token | JSON config syntax error | Validate JSON structure |
When to Use Visual Testing:
Always use for:
- Major dashboard restructuring
- New custom cards from HACS
- card_mod CSS customizations
- After updating HACS cards
Skip for:
- Simple entity ID changes
- Backend configuration
- Non-frontend changes
Why Visual Validation Matters:
- Catches rendering issues that API checks miss
- Verifies card styling and layout
- Confirms HACS cards loaded correctly
- Provides visual proof of correctness
Validation Workflows
Quick Validation (Minor Changes)
Fast validation for simple entity ID updates:
Full Validation (Major Changes)
Comprehensive validation for major dashboard updates. See references/workflows.md for the complete full validation script (full_validate.sh).
Key steps:
- Pre-publish validation (config + entities)
- Publish to production
- Check HA logs for new errors
- Automated browser validation
- Take screenshot for visual confirmation
Incremental Testing
Build complex dashboards section by section with validation:
Common Failure Modes
Configuration Errors
| Failure Mode | Detection | Fix | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missing entity ID | API entity check | Fix entity ID typo | |
| Invalid card type | Console error | Check spelling, verify HACS | |
| Malformed JSON | WebSocket error | Validate JSON syntax | |
| Missing required field | Pre-publish validation | Add required field |
HACS Card Issues
| Failure Mode | Detection | Fix | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Card not installed | Console, HACS check | Install via HACS | |
| Card not loaded | Console, network tab | Hard refresh | |
| Version incompatibility | Check versions | Update card or HA |
Entity Issues
| Failure Mode | Detection | Fix | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entity unavailable | API state check | Check device connection | |
| Entity renamed | API 404 | Update entity ID | |
| Entity removed | Pre-publish check | Remove/update card |
Supporting Files
references/validation-reference.md
Comprehensive reference documentation including:
- REST API endpoint reference (full request/response examples)
- WebSocket API command reference (auth flow, dashboard operations)
- MCP Chrome extension tool details (all available tools)
- Complete validation function implementations
- Entity state validation patterns
- Log analysis techniques and Python helpers
When to read: Need API details, complete code examples, or advanced validation patterns.
references/workflows.md
Detailed workflow documentation including:
- Pre-commit validation checklist
- Rollback strategy and procedures (backup/restore)
- Complete end-to-end deployment workflow
- CI/CD integration patterns (GitHub Actions, pre-commit hooks)
- Automated testing scripts (validate_all.py, check_entities.py)
When to read: Setting up automation, implementing CI/CD, or need complete deployment scripts.
Integration with Project
This skill integrates with the Home Assistant dashboard management workflow:
Integration Points:
- Dashboard Builder Scripts (
dashboard_builder.py)
- Add validation calls before publishing
- Use
publish_dashboard_safely()wrapper
This is the start of the file. Read the full SKILL.md on GitHub.
Security
- Security scanPassed, 100 of 100Pattern checks on the skill's files.
- Model reviewPassed
Quality evaluation
- Task evaluationFailed, 65 of 100Degrading. 1 run. Evaluated 8 months ago.
Source
- SKILL.md in the repositoryCheckingskills/ha-validate-dashboards/SKILL.md
Popularity
- Repository stars
- 1
- 7-day trend score
- 3
Stars and forks are for the whole GitHub repository, not this skill alone. Refreshed 3 Apr 2026, 7 months ago.
Extension points
hookPre/post lifecycle hooks
Works with
Any agent vskill installs to: 56 targets in all. These 39 have a page on this site.
- Claude Code
- Cursor
- GitHub Copilot
- Windsurf
- Codex
- Gemini CLI
- Cline
- Amp
- Roo Code
- Goose
- Continue
- Kilo Code
- Junie
- Trae
- OpenHands
- Qwen Code
- AI Agent
- Tabnine Chat
- Sourcegraph Cody
- Amazon Q
- Firebase Genkit
- Sweep
- Devin
- Phind
- Mentat
- Claude Desktop
- Aider
- GPT Pilot
- Plandex
- bolt.new
- v0
- Replit Agent
- Anse
- TypingMind
- BetterChatGPT
- LibreChat
- Warp AI
- Pieces
- Fig AI
Embed badge
[](https://verified-skill.com/skills/dawiddutoit/custom-claude/ha-validate-dashboards)